$350 million casino to rise in Jamul, Dulzura area

Joint project of Jamul Indian Village and Penn National Gaming

Jamul Indian Village, which has six acres of trust land, plans to build a Hollywood-branded $360 million casino 20 miles east of San Diego, off Route 94, along with Penn National Gaming of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. According to the plans, there will be three-story gambling and an entertainment facility of 200,000 square feet. The casino hopes to have 1700 slot machines ad 50 live table games including poker. The tribe plans multiple restaurants, bars, and lounges and 1000 parking spaces. Penn operates 29 gambling and racing facilities in 18 states and Canada.

Comments

If at first you do not succeed, then try, try again. This Indian band has been attempting to put a casino complex onto that tiny parcel for years. The neighbors seem to almost uniformly oppose it. A thousand parking spaces on six acres, along with a "three-story gambling and an entertainment facility of 200,000 square feet" and "the casino hopes to have 1700 slot machines ad 50 live table games including poker. The tribe plans multiple restaurants, bars, and lounges". All on six acres, huh? Yeah, right. Oh, and has any one mentioned how narrow and curvy Hwy 94 is in that area, both to the east and west? Can anyone say "traffic problems", boys and girls?

Ponzi: In MY opinion, it's time to end casino gambling generally. In fact, I would rather see house winnings go to impecunious Indian tribes than Vegas-based crooks, although in many if not most cases the Vegas crooks essentially run and drain the Indian casinos. My hopes will never be realized, of course. The casinos that dodge laws by floating on rivers, etc. are a farce. The fact that gambling, including state lotteries, has taken over the nation's psyche is one more sign of our sickness. Best, Don Bauder

I'll bet Dianne Jacob will fight this tooth and nail! She does not want a casino too close to her house. I only wish she would have fought so hard to keep Cajon Speedway open! Anyone gone by there recently? Nothing there but a bunch of weeds. Not a dime going to the State & County. What a waste. I will always remember the fun times I had with famly and friends at the track.

EastCountyWatcher: Jacob is the classic NIMBY -- intensely interested in fighting casinos and other blights that are near her residence, but not so intensely interested in fighting blight that doesn't affect her personally. Best, Don Bauder

Murphyjunk: The most interesting "sacred ground" dispute is going on at Warner Springs. The Pala Indians, at least now, failed in their bankruptcy court bid to take over the rundown Warner Springs Ranch. The nearby residents opposed Pala, purportedy because the residents feared Pala would put a casino there. But Pala says Warner is sacred grounds and it would never put a casino there. (There is also a nearby Indian casino that has done poorly.) Pala did not get Warner in bankruptcy court but my guess is that it will end up with it. And I personally doubt that the tribe will put a casino there, at least in the foreseeable future. Best, Don Bauder